A Guide to Galleria Umberto

Galleria Umberto, on Hanover Street in the North End, is a favorite spot for locals and is frequently recommended to visitors. The restaurant only serves lunch (hours are 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday), but if you get there too late, popular items might already be gone. A recent Chowhound thread (linked below) provides a great rundown of what to order.

First and foremost, a must-have at Umberto is the Sicilian-style pizza, which TrishUntrapped describes as “old school” and “gooey.” Mr. Mack loves these square slices, and always chooses one that looks wet. “Some slices are definitely dried out while others are nice and greasy,” he says, suggesting that greasy is the way to go.

lergnom likes the panzarotti, which is “essentially mashed potato fried with a bit of cheese in the middle.” Meanwhile, the arancini (Italian rice balls filled with meat) are the “size of baseballs,” TrishUntrapped says. kimfair1 adds that these “GOG (Golden Orbs of Goodness) are our main reason for going to Umberto.” kimfair1 also lets hounds in on a little secret: He says that the arancini are “greatly improved by slicing in half and adding a bit of salt and pepper.”

Finally, several hounds are appreciative of the cold beverages served there. “I might be the only one to pay attention to things like this, but they have the coldest can of Coke in the city,” Mr. Mack says. He clearly isn’t the only one who’s noticed. “I knew there were other freaks as particular as me out there,” Gabatta says. “I appreciate the cold Coke and do the same at home on the occasion that I drink one.”